Google Dedicates Second Doodle To Sandy Hook Elementary One Week After Shooting

One week after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Google has dedicated a second doodle to the memory of the victims.

Last Friday, when news of the shooting broke, Google added a white candle to the bottom of the main search and images pages. When rolled over, a yellow text box popped up that said, “Our hearts are with the families and community of Newtown, Connecticut.”

It was an unusual move for the search engine giant, which typically uses its doodles to mark major historical events. But last week’s doodle appeared to be the first time that Google marked a breaking news story.

The image at the bottom of the page Friday was a single green ribbon. When users place their cursor over the image, a text box appears that reads, “Remembering those lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School.”

The green ribbon has become a symbol for the 26 lives lost, including those of 20 children, in the shooting. The elementary school’s colors are green and white, and the ribbons have popped up all over the country from Cinnaminson High School in Cinnaminson, New Jersey to Du Quoin Middle School in Du Quoin, Illinois.

There were rumors that Google would have a Mayan-related doodle Friday, due to the fact that December 21, 2012 was believed by many to be the end of the world as predicted by the Mayan calendar. In actuality, the date is not the end of the world, but the date the calendar will go to the next b’ak’tun, or cycle of the Maya Long Count Calendar.

Did you notice the green ribbon on Google Friday? Have you observed a moment of silence for the victims of the shooting?